Tuning-peg for musical instruments



H; P. STROUGH.

TUNING PEG FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, I919. v

Patented July 6 1920.

Quorum UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOWARD P. STROUGH, or FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.

TUNING-PEG FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I-IowARD P. STROUGH, citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Fresno, in the county of Fresno and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tuning-Pegs forMusical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a tuning or. string peg formusical instruments of the violin, guitar, banjo, mandolin and similartypes whereby when the desiredtension has been applied to the at tachedstring, as in tuning the instrument, the peg may be locked or secured toprevent backward turning movement or loosening to relieve the acquiredtension upon the string and thus alter the pitch thereof, andincidentally to provide means for the purpose indicated which will serveto prevent the unseating or accidental detachment or dismounting of thepeg with the disadvantages resulting therefrom. 7

With these ends in view the invention consists in the construction,combination and relation of parts of which a plurality of forms areshown in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that changes inproportions and details may be resorted to within the scope of theclaims without departing from the principles involved.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a peg seated in the ordinary way in apeg box which may be represented by the neck of a musical instrument ofone of the types employing tuning pegs which are ordinarily held at thedesired adjustment, with the attached string at the preferred tension bymeans of frictional contact of the surfaces of the peg shank with theopenings in the walls of the box.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 2-2of Fig. 1.-

Fig 3 is a similar sectional view on the the usual tapered shank 11fitting in the walls 12 and 13 of the peg box represented by the spacetherebetween, and in the form Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed June 4, 1919. Serial No/SOLGOO.

Patented July 6, 1920.

particularly shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the inner end or tip ofthe peg shank is split or constructed so as to be transverselyexpansiblc' as shown at 14, with the ele* ments thereof as indicated inFig. 3 exposed to the action of a spreader or cone 15 pro-' vided with astem 16 which extends through a longitudinal bore 17 in the peg and isfitted at a point within convenient reach of the fingers of the operatorwith a peripheral milled nut 18 seated, for example, in a transverserecess 19 in the headof the peg so as to be exposed at diametricallyopposite points to contact with the fingers grasping the said peg head.Obviously by turning the nut the stem may be adjusted longitudinally inthe peg to cause the inward or outward movement of the spreader toeither expand or permit the contraction of the split end'of the pegshank, and the spreading actionthereof is designed to cause a positivefrictional. engagement of the exterior surfaces of the elements 14' withthe walls of, the opening 20 in the wall 13. Preferably this opening 20is tapered inwardly, or is flared toward the exterior surface of thewall so as to permit freedom of movement of the elements 14v in thespring of the shank. Moreover the flaring of this seat in the peg boxwall serves to insure a more positive engagement of the split end of thepeg and guard against accidental turning movement after an adjustmenthas been secured, and further serves to cause such a relation, betweenthe peg and the wall, when the extremity of the former is spread, as toprevent the accidental displacement or dismounting of the peg. Obviouslyany desired degree of frictional contact may be produced to insure themaintenance of the peg in an adjusted position, and the locking thereofmay be effected by the operator without releasing his grip upon the headof the peg after having effected the desired adjustment thereof.

In the modified construction illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 there isprovided a locking element consisting of a disk 21 connected with a stem22 extending through an axial bore of the shank of the peg and fittedwith The locking disk 21 bears against the exterior surface of the wall26 of the peg box and serves to draw the peg axially into the peg box soas to cause a frictional binding action of a positive character betweenthe tapered exterior surface of the peg shank and the opening 27 in thefront wall 28 of the box.

Also in the form illustrated in Fig. l a fin 29 may be provided byflattening the stem to engage a guide groove 30 in the bore 17 so as tohold the stem 16 against turning movement as the cone is adjustedaxially with reference to the split tip of the peg shank.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that in both of theillustrated forms of the invention the locking of the peg in itsadjusted position is effected by the frictional contact of cooperatingelements, one of which is movable to produce an effective contact bymeans of an adjusting member located in and carried by the head of thepeg so as to be within reach of the fingers of the operator in adjustingthe peg to tune the attached string. In the form illustrated in Fig. 1the frictional engagement is effected by the axial adjustment of thespreader or cone cooperating with the split tip of the peg shank tocause engagement of the surface of the latter with the opening in thepeg box wall, while in the form illustrated in Fig. 4 said contact iseffected by the axial adjustment of the disk 21 to produce frictionalcontact with the surface of the rear wall of the peg box and at the sametime this effect is supplemented by inducing a bodily movement of thepeg to cause its tapered surface to more firmly seat in the opening inthe front wall of the peg box.

Claimed:

The combination with a musical instrument having a peg box of which therear wall is provided with an outwardly flared peg seat, of a peg havingits shank pro vided at its end with a plurality of longitudinal slitsand fitted in said flared seat, a conical spreader engaged in the slitterminal and provided with a stem extending through the shank of thepeg, said stem being formed with oppositely disposed fins, the shankhaying guide grooves in which the fins engage, the head of the peghaving a recess, and a knurled nut set in the recess of the head andthreadingly engaging the extremity of the shank, whereby longitudinalmovement without angular movement is imparted to the shank to draw thespreader into the slit terminal of the shank for firm frictional contactof the latter with the flared seat of the peg box.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HOWVARD P. STROUGH.

